Spring into summer with Texas literary events

 April showers bring out literary events in Texas! Here's a sampling of upcoming ones:

April 25: Oak Cliff Book Crawl -- one day, six bookstores, plus music, food, drinks and community. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Participating bookstores: Whose Books, Pan-African Connection, Blush Bookstore, Poets Books, The Wild Detectives, and Lucky Dog Books.

No charge except to buy books, eats and drinks. Parking is limited, so consider walking, bike riding, or using a ride share if you're out of the area. All stores are located at or near the Bishop Arts area in the Dallas Oak Cliff neighborhood, although Pan-African Connection, one of the oldest Black-owned bookstores in the area, does require a short drive. Organizers recommend using it as your starting or ending point.

Please note, the parking lot at Whose Books will be used for vendors and outdoor festivities.

Check individual store websites for more information. And yes, feel free to stop by any of the other Bishop Arts restaurants and shops!

May 6-9: Dallas Is Lit!, A project of the Dallas Writers Garret, has everything from slam poets to literary organizations, to local bookstores. Located (where else!) in the Dallas Bishop Arts district, it offers activities for a variety of ages and interests. See the site for specific programs, venues, and ticket purchases.

May 26-August 4: The Young Authors program returns to the Richardson Public Library for students entering grades 5-9. This one's just for residents of Richardson, Texas, but it's one of my favorites. Free, but participants must be Richardson residents with Richardson Public Library cards. Registration runs from May 26 to June 9, with classes running through August 4. 

With the help of guest speakers, including children's book author Nancy Churnin, participants will learn to write and illustrate their own picture books. They'll get one glossy, hard bound copy to keep, while a second goes into the library's permanent collection. All for free!

To register, call 972-744-4358 or visit the Youth Services Help Desk at the library. Librarians can also help with library cards for eligible students who don't already have one. For more information, visit the library website at  www.cor.net/Library

June 11-13: Reading to find writing inspiration in the local that inspired a Texan to invent one of fiction's most iconic characters? That would be Conan the Barbarian (or Cimmerian, as his creator, Robert E. Howard, preferred). 

Howard Days is the annual festival held in Howard's hometown of Cross Plains, Texas. Technically, the festival runs June 12-13, but this year organizers have added an Emerging Writers Workshop on the 11th at the Cottonwood Downtown Cafe, 240 Main St., in Cross Plains, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Note that, despite the term "emerging writers," the workshop only means the manuscript submitted to it must be unpublished. Also, the submission does not need to be heroic fantasy but may be any of the fiction genres in which Howard wrote, including sword & sorcery, western, historical fiction, boxing tales, horror, detective, or comedic versions of these.

Instructors are authors Adrian Simmons, Jason Waltz, and Howard biographer Mark Finn. Cost: $50, which includes workshop, discussion, and written critique. Most of the proceeds will be used toward the ongoing Howard House Preservation Project.

image by suki for Pixabay

See the Robert E. Howard page on Facebook or the details at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly for more information. 

But get a move on, pardner! The submission deadline is May 10.

Note: updated April 30, 2026, to add proper link to Heroic Fantasy Quarterly.

June 11-14: For the young or young at heart, CALF aka, Children's Art and Literacy Festival, features the classic stories and art of Winnie-the-Pooh, with readings by Young Audiences of Abilene. See the site for additional information and events around the city of Abilene.

Early registration until May 15 is $12 for children ages 3-12, $20 for adults age 13 and older. 

June 26-28: The Writers League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference takes over downtown Austin from its perch at the Hyatt Regency hotel. Conference registration is open but going fast. From now through June 28 (as seats are available), registration is $549 for WLT members, $599 for nonmembers.

Perks are days filled with panels, meet-ups, and chances for information talks with agents, book editors, and fellow writers. For writers with finished manuscripts, consultations with agents or editors are available for individual purchase as space allows. See the site for details and registration.

Now - July 10: The Writers League of Texas manuscript contest  is also open for submissions, separately from the conference. See the site for details and submission requirements. It is not necessary to have a completed manuscript, only the first 10 pages plus a synopsis. Winners in a number of fiction, nonfiction (including memoir), and children's writing categories will meet virtually with a top literary agent (the final judge in their category) via Zoom. All contestants, winners or not, can opt to receive a written critique from an experienced editor.

Fee: $65 WLT members/$85 for nonmembers, which includes the written critique. Or writers can opt out of the critique for a fee of $25 for WLT members, $35 for nonmembers.

See the site for details.

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Want more literary events? I like Lone Star Literary Life for its state-wide lists! Plus, still to come at this site -- fall events including ArmadilloCon, the Dallas Hay Festival Forum, the Archer City Traditional Workshop (held in the hometown of another great Texas writer, Larry McMurtry), and the DFW Writers Conference, among others.

Weather frightful? Texas literary events delightful!

 Yes, it's a snow day here in Texas which means -- it's nearly spring! With a new season of Texas-centric literary events to get us through the cold.

ASAP: The Writers Workshop of the sci-fi/fantasy/horror conference FenCon is back! It nearly escaped my notice, and the email I received said the entry deadline was January 7. But always hopeful, I sent a writing sample anyway and received the encouraging news that there are still slots to be filled. But hurry! Workshop attendance is limited to 20 writers, and workshop leader/author Kevin Ikenberry  needs time to read them before the workshop's opening February 13.

FenCon's official dates this year are February 14-15 but it opens early for writers. You'll need a FenCon membership ($55 and up) with writing workshop upgrade ($65) for the whole meal deal. See the site for full details.

January 11 - June 10: The Dallas Museum of Art's Arts & Letters program presents a series of notable authors, including Bill Gates (yes, that Bill Gates!), Percival Everett (James), David Sedaris and many, many more! See the site for the complete list of speakers, ticket prices and venues.

January 31: Deadline to register for the Writers League of Texas Agents Symposium, with online presentations by 10 agents February 22-November 22, 2025. The WLT alternates agents symposiums annually with its in-person conference, whose next date will be in 2026. Symposium registration is $449 for members, $509 for nonmembers. A $150 non-refundable deposit by January 31 will hold a spot for either members or nonmembers.

See the site for a listing of agents and topics. Information on additional WLT classes and programs (some free!) is available at the general site. I'll also post later about this year's WLT manuscript contest.

February 20: The HP LitFest hosts Mark Sullivan, New York Times best-selling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and more. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Highland Park High School auditorium, 4220 Emerson Ave., Dallas, with presentation at 7 p.m. 

Before becoming a novelist, Sullivan was also an award-winning journalist. The event is free, but donations are welcome. See the site for details.

March 1: The North Texas Teen Books Festival hosts more than 70 authors of middle-grade and young adult fiction at the Irving Convention Center, 500 West Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, Texas.

image by Arbaz Khan for Pixabay

Middle-grade keynote speakers are Karina Yan Glaser, Alan Gratz and Ruta Sepetys at 9 a.m. Young adult keynote speakers are Gabi Burto, Stephanie Garber and Lauren Roberts at 2:30 p.m. As always, the festival is free. You don't even have to be a teen to attend, but there's also an educators day February 28. See the site for details, including complete list of attending authors.

Still to come: The Dallas Writer's Garret returns with its Dallas Is Lit! literary festival May 15-18, including a mix of authors, performers, and book lovers. Check the site for additional information.

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Want more? Of course, you do! Check out Lone Star Literary Life for additional listings around the state. 

And yes, as dog is my witness, this site will post soon about writing contests!

Coming up for air -- spring literary contests galore

 In my last post -- if I can remember that far back -- I promised the next would be on banned books. April fool! It's a post about spring literary contests. It's been way too long since I posted about contests, and this will also include information about Twitter pitch events.

First, the conventional spring contests including Texas-centric events readers may not always find in their inboxes, followed by links to sites of many, many more:

Now - April 17: The Houston Writers Guild announces its Journey into Art short story contest. Entry fee: $20 for HWG members, $35 for nonmembers. Cash prizes with provision for publication in the Guild's anthology "Journey" series. The contest's focus is on stories that include art -- visual, performance, or literary -- in some form, although art doesn't need to be the main event. 

Now - May 5 (early bird) or June 5 (regular deadline): Writer's Digest is now accepting entries for its Annual Writing Competition. The May 5 deadline is for early bird submissions with reduced fees. These are $20 for first poetry submissions, $15 for each additional poetry submission; and $30 for first manuscript submission, $25 for each additional manuscript submission.

June 5 is the regular, drop-dead deadline for submissions: $25 for poetry + $20 for each additional submission and $35 for first manuscript submission + $30 for each additional submission. Cash prizes for winners in a number of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry genres, plus additional recognition. 

Now - June 20: The Writers League of Texas annual manuscript contest is now open. Although the WLT changed its agents and editors conference to a biannual format, with the next in 2024, the manuscript contest continues annually. This year's winners in all 10 fiction and nonfiction categories will meet virtually with a top literary agent (the final judges in their category) via Zoom. Also new this year is the WLT Inklist, a catalog of log lines for all winners and finalists to be shared with literary agents and book editors this fall.

All contestants, winners or not, may opt for a written critique on their entry or entries. Writers may enter up to four entries per category. They may also enter as many multiple categories as they like, with exceptions for memoirs.

Contestants do not need a completed manuscript to enter. All that's required are the first (roughly) 10 pages of the manuscript plus a synopsis that describes the rest of the book the writer plans. Fee for each entry: $55 for WLT members, $65 for nonmembers. Each of these includes a written critique. For writers who do not wish to receive a critique, the entry fee is $25 for WLT members, $35 for nonmembers. 

April 1- to be determined: Dallas literary journal Carve Magazine typically opens its annual Raymond Carver Short Story Contest in March. This year, the site states the contest opens April 1, with no additional details yet posted.

Now - June 30: Feeling stressed about writing? Try the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which proudly challenges authors "to write an atrocious opening sentence to the worst novel never published." Writers may submit as many entries as they can stomach, each consisting of a single sentence. These may be any length, but judges pray that they may not exceed 50-60 words.  

Image: Pixabay

Is there a fee? Next question. Is there a prize? Merely a pittance, plus bragging rights for those who dare. The contest is named for 19th century novelist, Sir Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, whose opening sentence to his novel, Paul Clifford, began "It was a dark and stormy night," and continued for approximately (I lost count) another 50 words aided by a plentitude of punctuation marks. 

As readers may suspect, entrants tend to write with a high degree of hilarity, not the mention nearly unbearable puns. Inquiring writers may wonder, can there possibly be a Texas angle to such silliness? Glad you asked! Texas residents have frequently won honor (so to speak) in the contest's numerous "dishonorable mentions" lists. Check the winning entries and refresh your spirits, dear friends.

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But fee (or fie, foh, fum) on deadlines. The following sources (all free to use) list more contests, as well as regular submission calls, grants, and more:

Reedsy includes weekly themed writing prompts with cash prizes in its contest list.

Poets & Writers lists both writing grants and contest for more literary competitions.

The Submissions Grinder lists contests as well as general literary submissions. This free resource is similar to the for-pay site, Duotrope.

Erica Verillo's Publishing . . . and Other Forms of Insanity posts monthly lists of submissions, contests, conferences and more.

Arthur Klepchukov's Writing Contests Worth Your Time updates seasonally but is currently only available for contests through February 2023.

Writers of the Future hosts science fiction writing competitions, repeating quarterly.

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And then, there's the Twitterverse. 

Although Twitter's popular #PitMad is no more, the concept of literary pitch parties has proliferated. These aren't ways to make money, but some can catch the eyes of agents and editors, or at least promote solidarity among writers. They tend to come and go as quickly as a tweet. The most up to date list I found was at writing community.ca. Unfortunately, this site is on semi-hiatus, but it still lists Twitter pitch parties through the next several months as well as their associated websites.

What's missing from all this? Don Hammons, the writer behind the WRiTE Club readers-choice contest says it unlikely to return for 2023. And Ralan.com, a longtime source of writing submissions and contests, also bit the dust in February of this year. 

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Next up: Will I ever get around to the topic of banned books? Maybe, unless some other bright, shiny object catches my eye first!

Gems from pandemic's virtual literary events

 I spent the past two-plus years stuffing myself with more virtual literary conferences and classes than I could have afforded to attend in person. And even as we cheer the pandemic's apparent wind-down, it's hard to deny that the virtual world has its benefits. I written several posts about details of these virtual events, but there are so many gems that couldn't find a place. Until now!

• Hacks to keep us writing: Tie a desired action with a habitual one. . . 'when I pour a cup of coffee, I will spend 10 minutes (doing desired action).' -- Kathy Ver Eeke, Pitch to Published virtual class

• On creating characters: A character sketch is an outline that asks and answers questions about your main characters. Don't skip this step! You'll know how your character will behave and react in any situation. . . Look at the famous people who have the personality types that most interest you. -- Shayla Raquel, WORDfest virtual conference, 2020

• On those 'crappy' first drafts: If you write with somebody looking over your shoulder, you're screwed to begin with. I write like everybody I know is dead. -- Joe R. Lansdale, Writers League of Texas virtual conference, 2021

• Still more 'crappy': I encourage young writers to write without editing. -- Varian Johnson, Writers League of Texas virtual conference, 2021

• Last of the crappies (for now!): Give yourself permission to write badly! -- Shayla Raquel, Writers Guild of Texas online video

• On reading when you're a writer: It can be hard to read a book without picking it apart -- or wishing I'd written it myself! -- Jeffrey Kraatz, Writers League of Texas virtual conference, 2021

• More reading as a writer: You never know where your next inspiration will come from. -- Kathleen Kent, Writers League of Texas virtual conference, 2021

• On knowing your audience: It's really hard to write books without meeting the people who read them. -- Jeff Kinney, North Texas Teen Book Festival, 2021

• On planning a book: The more books you write, the more you need to plan. Or it's all going to end up sounding like the same book. . . You can veer away from the recipe once you know what the recipe is. -- Michelle Stimpson, WORDfest virtual conference, 2020   

• On getting 'unstuck': If you're feeling stuck, go back to your outline. If you didn't outline, go back and do so! -- Shayla Raquel, Writers Guild of Texas online video

• 'Showing' vs. 'telling': Put the character in situation in which they interact in ways you want to show. 'In the head' is telling. It's the action that's 'showing.': Dan Crissman, Pitch to Published virtual writing group

• On not sweating the small stuff: Clothing descriptions don't need to happen unless it's important to the story. We can assume (the characters) are wearing clothes. -- Robert Dugoni, Thrillerfest virtual conference, 2021

• On literary agents: I became an agent because I was in law school but didn't want to be a lawyer! -- Kirby Kim, Writers League of Texas virtual conference, 2021

• How to research agents: Get two bowls with 50 marbles in one. Take a marble from the first bowl and put it in the second bowl for each agent researched. Caution -- do not substitute candies for marbles in this exercise.
  :  -- Kathy Ver Eeke, Pitch to Published virtual writing group

• I'll end with this spit in the eye of the pandemic: During COVID-19, I had to find a place to write where it was outdoors but safe -- I went to the cemetery. -- Jeff Kinney, North Texas Teen Book Festival, 2021

image by Kaitlyn Millet from Pixabay

There you have it. Useful tips or at least some that may make us smile. I'm happy to say that some of these events have or plan to go live in 2020. The North Texas Teen Book Festival went live earlier this month, and Writers League of Texas and Thrillerfest are full steam ahead with plans for in-person conferences. The Writers Guild of Texas is still operating virtually out of its Facebook page but sadly, WORDfest, an event of the Writers Organizations 'Round Dallas has disappeared from sight. Keep checking back here for updates. And keep writing!

        

Weather and COVID can't stop Texas literary events

 I'm writing this from the land of ice and snow known as North Texas, but neither Arctic temperatures nor a pandemic can keep Texas literary events down. Still, some are hesitating -- will they go in-person, virtual, or hybrid? I'll update as information becomes available.

(Updated February 9 with information about Highland Park Literary Fest, North Texas Teen Bookfest and Dallas Literary Festival)

Now-February 28: Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest. OK, I don't mean to turn this into a writing contest post. That will come later. For now, consider it a warmup for the Writers League's big event -- its Agents and Editors Conference, which bravely returns (as of this writing, at least) in person June 24-26. 

In the meantime, the WLT invites us to submit the opening pages of our unpublished manuscripts for constructive feedback and, maybe, a one-on-one discussion with a top literary agent in our genres. All we need are the first, approximately 10 pages and a synopsis of what we have planned for the rest of the manuscript. Fees: $55 for WLT members, $65 for nonmembers (includes written critique). Or $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers who opt out of receiving written feedback. See the site for details.

February 15-May 31: The Dallas Museum of Arts program of writers, Arts & Letters Live, returns in-person but with virtual options. In-person tickets start at $30, virtual tickets at $12, in both cases with discounts for DMA members, educators, and students. See the site for details, venues, and ticket purchases.

February 23: Keynote speaker for the 2022 Highland Park Literary Festival is New York Times best-selling writing Amor Towles, author most recently of The Lincoln Highway, as well as A Gentleman in Moscow, and more. Although the event is free and open to the public, please register your attendance at the site. I also opted for $20 valet parking, since parking space is limited. At the Highland Park High School auditorium, 4220 Emerson Ave., Dallas. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Valet parking starts at 6 p.m.

March 4-5: The North Texas Teen Book Festival keeps going! Although details are still skimpy, it promises more than 90 authors and illustrators of middle grade and young adult books. Although the educators event March is virtual, the public festival March will be in-person at the Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, Texas. Free, but additional parking fees apply. (Or try DART, which has a stop within walking distance of the convention center.) 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

March 18-22: The SMU-sponsored Dallas Literary Festival presents featured authors Nikole Hannah-Jones, Davie Treuer, and Jelani Cobb. Assistant director Katherine Delony has informed me that the festival will be in-person with most events either on the SMU campus or at the African American Museum of Dallas. Registration information will be on the website as soon as a schedule is available.

April 22-24: Ready, Set, Pitch -- the annual spring conference of the Houston Writers Guild is emphatically hybrid. Sessions Friday (April 22) and Sunday (April 24) will be held in person with a Zoom option. Main day programming Saturday (April 23) will be fully virtual, including agent and acquisition editor pitch sessions. Tickets are $50 for a three-day pass, $25 for Friday's marketing options panel, and $35 for Sunday's workshop. Agent pitch sessions are an additional $25 each. A processing fee applies to all transactions. See the site for complete schedule and in-person venue locations.

April 29-May 1: Also in Houston, Writefest returns with a virtual book fair, a conference, and social events around the city. Social events are free and open to the public. Registration and complete schedules are available at the website.

Then there are the "save-the-date: and even "to-be-determined" events, including major conferences outside the state.

May 31-June 4: Thrillerfest XVII plans a completely in-person conference at New York City's Sheraton Times Square hotel. Agents galore, master and craft classes, and more, more, more. Check out the free Best First Sentence contest and examples from 2021's winners at the site. Too many options to list here, so see the site for schedules and prices, and to reserve a hotel room. Note that attendees must follow NYC's COVID-19 vaccination mandates.

June ?: Will the beloved DFW Writers Conference return for 2022? The best information I can find is that it may take place sometime in June at the Hurst Convention Center, Hurst, Texas. This follows numerous setbacks in 2021, including date changes and a decision to go completely virtual at that time. Again, I'll update. 

June 24-26: Agents and Editors Conference of the Writers League of Texas at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Austin, Texas. Registration not yet available but note that winners of the WLT's manuscript contest (above) receive free entry to the conference.

July 27-30: Romance Writers of America have a date and place for their 2022 conference -- Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center, National Harbor, Maryland, but no other details as yet.

September 1-5: WorldCon (also known this year as Chicon 8) takes place in Chicago. The festival anticipates starting discussions this spring about public health issues. More to come.

September 8-11: Bouchercon 2022, the world mystery writers conference, is schedule at the Hilton Minneapolis, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More to come.

September 16-18: Fencon, the Dallas/Fort Worth science fiction and fantasy convention, will convene at the Sheraton DFW Airport hotel, 4440 W. John Carpenter Freeway, in Irving, Texas. Adult tickets start at $40. No word yet on whether there will be a writers workshop but the site asks us to stay tuned for more information.

November 3-6: The World Fantasy Convention 2022 is scheduled for New Orleans, at the Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Ave. Again, details to come.

Is there a rainbow at the pandemic's end?

 While some spent the pandemic binging Netflix, I binged on-line writing conferences. After logging two virtual conferences this summer and finding a new critique group through one of them, I happily signed up for what I expected to be in-person conferences this fall. Then, COVID struck again. And though there's still a lot to report from the virtual Historical Novel and Thrillerfest gatherings, updates on the coming season take precedent.

Readers may have already heard that Bouchercon, the world mystery convention, has been cancelled for 2021. I had been surprised enough to learn, as I reported two months ago, that Bouchercon's organizers were determined to meet in person this August, after going virtual in 2020. But with the conference's scheduled site of New Orleans, Louisiana, experiencing some of the country's highest infection rates, and the cost of going virtual at such a late date proved prohibitive, even murder and mayhem fans called it quits.

If you registered for Bouchercon, you should have received a notice about the refund of your registration fee. Bouchercon is scheduled to return to New Orleans in 2025, the convention's first open date. Meanwhile, we can all hope 2022's version, scheduled for Minneapolis, will go forward.

So, were do literary conferences go from here? A number of conferences normally held during the summer have moved to autumn dates, leading to an unusually crowded late-year calendar. Some are still in-person, some virtual, others -- a mix!

Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay

September 17-19: The Writers League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference in Austin, Texas, had already planned a move to fall. Then, even before the Bouchercon cancellation, I received an email from the Writers League announcing new protocols. As of this writing, the September conference is still an in-person event but with more limited registration. And there's an option for a virtual format.

Both in-person and virtual registrations include a complimentary consultation with an agent or editor. Attendees registering in-person may opt for a face to face consultation or a virtual one. In-person attendees are required to mask, and those opting for in-person consultations must present proof of full vaccination. See the site for registration and additional information.

October 15-17: ArmadilloCon, the Austin, Texas, science fiction/fantasy convention, opted for a virtual format last year but returns in-person in 2021 at the Omni Southpark hotel. Its writing workshop, with critiques, craft and business-style panels, is scheduled for October 15. Registration and submission deadline for the workshop is September 3. See the site for details.

October 15-16: The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference returns in hybrid form. Events Friday (October 15) will be in-person at Interabang Books in Dallas. The all-day Saturday (October 16) programs will be conducted virtually. As always, Mayborn will include writing contests, with entries due September 15. See the site for details and registration.

October 23-24: DFWCon, the writing conference sponsored by the Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Workshop, also normally a summer event, has moved to the fall. Although the group considered the possibility of a virtual conference, they decided to remain in-person, at the Hurst Convention Center, Hurst, Texas. This conference includes consultations with literary agents and editors. See the site for details.

October 25-28, 30-31: The Texas Book Festival opted for a hybrid format. October 25-28 events will be virtual, those for October 30-31 in-person at outdoor venues. Free, as always, for check the site for specifics.

November 4-7: The World Fantasy Convention bravely goes completely live, in Montreal, Canada. See the site for details and remember to check COVID-19 protocols( for international travel.

November 18-20: The RWA (Romance Writers of America) opted for a fully virtual conference. Check the site for details when registration opens September 1.

December 15-17: Finally, on my list of major literary conferences, is WorldCon, the international science fiction event. At this point, WorldCon plans an in-person conference in Washington, D.C. Stay tuned to the site for details.

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An email for the organization Writing Day Workshops Online also hit my in-box. I have not attended any of these conferences, but they include writing workshops and plentiful lineups of literary agents. Check out Online Chesapeake Writing Workshop September 10-11, Online Writing Workshop of San Francisco October 8-9, and Online North Carolina Writing Workshop November 13.

And as always, I recommend Erica Verrillo's Publishing. . . and Other Forms of Insanity blog for lists of conferences and much, much more!

Contests to put the spring back into our writing

 For every writer whose pen/paper/keypad needs to have the pandemic dust cleared off, here’s a list of current writing contests to do just that. Why contests? To paraphrase writer/blogger Erica Verrillo, contest deadlines force us to FINISH a piece, and many of them also require a synopsis and pitch – both essential for approaching publishers and agent. Oh, and winning a contest can boost our chances of getting published! (Also see her list of free contests, because if it’s free, what is there to lose?)

April 30: Did we almost lose sight of the Writers League of Texas annual manuscript contest? Because the WLT’s annual conference has been delayed by the pandemic, the contest was also extended – but the deadline is coming up fast! No completed manuscript needed but contestants must provide a short synopsis and the opening pages of an unpublished work (2,750-word limit) in any of several fiction and nonfiction categories. Winners in all categories win free registration to the WLT conference September 17-19, meet with a top literary agent in their genre, and be recognized at the conference. All contestants can also receive specific written feedback on their work. See the site for details. Entrance fees: $55 for WLT members/$65 nonmembers. Or writers may opt out of receiving written feedback for a lower cost of $25 for WLT members/$35 for nonmembers.   

Image: Wikimedia Commons

May 7: Early bird pricing deadline for Writer’s Digest annual writing competition. The competition’s nine categories offer chances for cash prizes, interviews and a paid trip to the Digest’s 2-21 conference in New York City. Early bird entry fees: $20 for first poetry entry, $15 for additional poetry entry; $30 for first prose entry, $35 for additional prose entry. See the site for details and entry form.

May 15: Dallas-based Carve Magazine’s annual Raymond Carver Short Story Contest offers chances for publication, cash prizes and publication of prize winners in the magazine’s October issue. Winning entries will also be read by three literary agents. Unpublished literary fiction only, no genre stories! Up to 10,000 words. Fees: $17 per entry. See the site for details.

May 20: Early pricing deadline for Book Pipeline Adaptation Contest seeks published books, graphic novels, short stories and plays for film and television adaptation. No genre restrictions, both traditional and self-published works accepted. Winner receives cash prize plus film/TV industry circulation and project development. Fee: $55. See site for details.

May 30: Masters Review Flash Fiction is looking for emerging writers for fiction under 1,000 words. Cash prizes for first, second, and third-place winners, chosen by author Stuart Dybek. $20 entry fee allows for two story entries. All stories are considered for publication. 

June 1: Early pricing deadline for the Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest in several fiction and nonfiction categories. Cash prizes to winners in each category, industry circulation and more. Fee: $45. 

June 3: #PitMad is the Twitter party where writers tweet a pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts to agents and editors. One day only, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Repeats quarterly.) Free. 

June 30: Need a break from the serious? Dare we try our hands at this year’s Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest ? Named for the prolific 19^th-century writer who penned the sentence that began with the infamous, “It was a dark and stormy night” and continued for more than 50 additional words. Each entry must consist of a single sentence, but the judges plead for us not to go beyond 50 or 60 words. There will be overall winners as well as winners in several genre categories – including “Purple Prose” and “Vile Puns.” For their pains, winners will receive a pittance and bragging rights. Free, with unlimited number of entries. See the site for details and to check out the stress-relieving previous winners, including North Texas writer Lisa Hanks’ masterpiece which received a “Grand Panjandrum’s Special Award.”

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What’s missing? DL Hammons’ popular WRiTE CLUB contest is on hiatus, possibly due to the delayed scheduling of its sponsor, the DFW Writers Conference. I’ll post as soon as information is available.

As always, crazy for contests writers may check out the options at Erica Verrillo’s previously mentioned site, Ralan.com, New Pages, Reedsy, and Writer Unboxed’s
Arthur Klepchukov.

Short takes from teen book fest plus quarantine updates

(Post updated to reflect cancellation of Writefest Houston)

Diversity comes to the big (and biggish) screens

Stories for (but not limited to) young adult readers have long been fodder for movie and TV adaptations. Nothing against Little Women, but the recent North Texas Teen Book Festival hosted a range of more recent – and sometimes harder-edged – books taking their places on the big – and small – screens.

Angie Thomas (l) & Julie Murphy

Panelists Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda), Max Brallier (Last Kids on Earth TV series), David Levithan (Every Day), Sarah Mlynoski (Upside Down Magic), Julie Murphy (Dumplin’), and Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give) joined moderator/podcaster Sara Roberts to talk about what it’s like to see their books come to life in a different medium – and whether they’ve brought new readers with them.

Responses ranged from Mlynoski (whose movie adaption is due this summer): “I don’t know yet but I learn people get a lot more into it.”

To Albertalli: “I’m not sure people knew it was a book,” of the Love, Simon, movie adaptation of her coming of age story, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. (Which didn’t keep festival teens from finding, and sporting copies of the original.)

To Murphy: “People tell me, ‘my dad’s seen your movie.’” (Dumplin’, based on the book of the same name). “Dad may not have turned into a reader,” Murphy said, “but I’m glad he’s getting the story.”

However, writers acknowledged that Hollywood can be slower to pounce on themes of diversity than publishers. Having movies about “a black girl (The Hate U Give), a gay boy (Love, Simon), and a fat girl (Dumplin’)” as Thomas noted, necessarily mean more traction for characters whose diversity mirrors that of increasing numbers of young readers.

“You have to ask the film people to make sure the world (on film) around your characters is just as diverse,” Murphy said.

When the session turned to Q&A, one young fan said, “I write, but about serious things and the problems of the world. But when I tell people, they say, you’re a kid, you should be writing about happy things, like ponies. What do you say to that?”

Authors bluntly favored the questioner, although not all responses were suitable for print. “I look forward to you signing a book for me one day.”

***

Rick Riordan as patron saint of mythic adaptations

l-r, Marsick, Chokshi, Hernandez, Mbalia

It’s no secret that adaptations of classical myths are hot properties in literature for kids and teens. Middle-grade author Rick Riordan first primed the pump with his wildly irreverent takes on Greek divinities, but his Rick Riordan Presents imprint within Disney Publishing has expanded to feature a multitude of other cultural myths adapted to modern life. 

The Rick Riordan Presents! panel at the North Texas Teen Book Festival drew on books by Indian American writer Roshani Chokshi (Gilded Wolves series), Cuban Carlos Hernandez (Sal and Gabi Break the Universe) and African Kwame Mbalia (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky). 

Rebecca Marsick opened the discussion with the observation, “All of your books involve other dimensions.”

“Every book is a thought experiment – what if this happens?” Hernandez said. The alternate dimension is this other possibility.”

“Portal fantasy and alternate dimensions are just cool ways to explain magic,” Mbalia said. “Things just are, and you’re free to explore the stories. We don’t have a lot of time to explain in books. We have to get to the meat.”

What, Marsick asked, did the writers’ personal cultures bring to their stories?

Or perhaps, Hernandez said, it was a matter of what they didn’t bring – the blanks he felt necessary to fill in. “One of the things I wasn’t seeing in the (Latinx) literature was the joy. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t happy. Things feel wild and magical all the time, even when we struggle.”

Chokshi also noted that a writer’s experience with myths may vary, citing differences between the stories she and her husband, from another part of the country, learned. “India is a big place (and) I’m not trying to represent an entire country in a book. What we have to do is celebrate these stories. Try to get the general strokes of the mythology and then let it live.”

***

I still feel well nearly ten days after that North Texas Teen Book Festival, but the world of in-person literary events is narrowing as the CORV-19 pandemic spreads. Still, writers are resilient. North Texas WORDfest’s
“all-you-can-meet” festival of creative connection, originally scheduled for this Saturday, March 21, has morphed into a virtual festival from 7 p.m. Friday, March 20, through 4 p.m. Sunday, March 22. As of this writing (March 16), the only place I find to register for the limited number of online sites is at the WORD – Writing Organizations ‘Round Dallas Facebook page, which promised an updated schedule to come.

Sorry to report that Writefest Houston, originally scheduled for May 4-10, has been cancelled dur to the COVID-19 pandemic. Look for it to return in 2021. As of this writing, summer events are still scheduled – the June 13-14 DFW Writers Conference in Hurst, Texas, and the June 26-28 Agents & Editors Conference of the Writers League of Texas in Austin. I will post here as updated information is available.

Sharpen your pens for a new year of contests

So much stuff to write about for 2020 – writing classes, literary conferences, reading challenges – but most of all, writing contests! Here’s a sample, starting with the most urgent.

January 13: Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition is for writings of 1,500 words or fewer. Among the prizes – cash, a trip to New York City for the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, and an interview for a feature article in the WD magazine. Fees: first entry, $30, additional entries $25 each. 

January 15 – February 29: From the indefatigable contest source, Arthur Klepchukov comes a list of winter writing contests he promises are worth our time! Some deadlines have passed, but for those of us still shaking off the holiday grog, Klepchukov extends his list through February. See the site for various contests, prizes and fees.

Yerson Retamal for Pixabay

January 31: Book Pipeline’s Unpublished Contest. Book Pipeline has added new contests to its lineup, including this for unpublished manuscripts in the genres of YA  (young adult), science fiction/fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary,  outsider/experimental and nonfiction. Cash prizes for winners plus possibilities for circulation to publishing professionals. I’ve received helpful feedback in the past from the Pipeline’s reviewers. Fee: $25. 

January 31: From New Pages comes The Screwturn  Supernatural Flash Fiction competition for stories up to 1,000 words. Cash prizes and anthology publication. Fee: $10. 

February 15: Also new to the Book Pipeline contest lineup is its Adaptation Contest. This one is for books, graphic novels and short stories previously published (including self-publication), and published or produced stage plays, suitable for adaptation to film or TV. Fee: $45. 

February 28: That’s the deadline for the current WOW! Women on Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction contest. 250-750 word limit. Fee: $10 (Or $20 for those who want a critique). This came from the genre-oriented site, Ralan.com. Follow the “contest” link for more options.

March 10: Yippee! The Writers’ League of Texas 2020 Manuscript Contest has a new and later deadline! Take a breather from earlier contests to polish manuscripts in a variety of fiction and nonfiction genres as well as middle grade and young adult manuscripts. Winners in each category receive free entry to the League’s June 26-28, 2020 Agents & Editors Conference (valued at $400) and a consultation with the literary agent who judged the category. Fee: $55 for WLT members, $65 for nonmembers (includes a written critique), $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers who choose to forego feedback. See the site for details.

Still crazy for contests? In addition to the sources already mentioned, try Reedsy and new-to-me site Published to Death by writer/PEN member Erica Verrillo.

***

Still to come – classes to start or polish your writing craft, and of course, literary conferences.

New Year's countdown of readers’ favs of 2018: day 1

What – 2018 is almost over? No worries – for this final week of the year, I’m rerunning a sample of readers’ (and my) favorite posts, starting with a post first published January 26, 2018.

*** 

There was a full house at Interabang Books this week as Dallas’s newest independent bookstore and the Writer’s League of Texas hosted a panel discussion about community building for writers. And we hadn’t even known there would be cupcakes! (Those arrived courtesy of irrepressible panel member, author and community organizer, Arianne “Tex” Thompson, decorated with the names and logos of local writers’ communities.)

No, we were there because, despite the Hemingwayesque stereotype of writers as antisocial loners – possibly hard drinking ones at that – the local authors on the panel –Thompson, Kathleen Kent, Melissa Lenhardt, and Blake Kimzey – extolled the necessity of connections.

“It is so important for every industry to own its issues,” Thompson said. “For football, it’s brain injury. For ballet dancers, it’s eating disorders. For us it’s –”

“Hemorrhoids,” an audience member shouted.

Well, at least anxiety, Thompson acknowledged, when the laughter had died down. “You writers, there’s something seriously wrong with you!” (More laughter, some slightly self-conscious.) “It’s important that we need a counterbalance to the word hamsters running around in our heads. You need a writing community if you’re going to stay healthy and stay in the game.”

l-r, Lenhardt, Kent, Kimzey

And that, if in more chaste language, was the tone of the discussion moderated by the League’s member services manager, Jordan Smith. 

“Why is it important for writers to be in a community?” Smith asked. “And how do you find a community?”

Kimzey agreed. Now a prolific short story author and founder/director of Writing Workshops Dallas, he confessed to starting his writing career as an alternative to his day job.

“I was nodding off in a cubicle 10 years ago,” the author of “a lot of vignettes,” but no completed stories until he found a creative writing workshop at Brookhaven Community College. 

“It was transforming for me. There I was, getting feedback for the first time.”

He and the other students – mostly college freshmen and sophomores years younger than he was – took a second course together because they formed such strong bonds. (Kimzie would even take the course a third time, and end with nine completed stories.) “Now I have my gang of four, all at different stages. It’s important to have a cohort.”

“I started by going to the DFW Writers Workshop,” Lenhardt said, where she was able to grow her Stillwater mystery series and award-winning historical novels. “They ‘got’ me in a way my family didn’t.”

The stay-at-home mom went to her first workshop meeting and thought, “Oh, my God, nobody asked about my kids.” It wasn’t that workshop members didn’t care about her kids, she said, but that her relationship with them was being built as a comrade, not on the family connections which had previously dominated her life.

Kent, on the other hand, already completed the manuscript that would become her New York Times bestseller, The Heretic’s Daughter, on her own. She has said in other contexts that she kept her writing a secret from almost everyone except her mother, fearing the eyeball rolls if she confessed to it, with another career and well into middle age. “I wish I’d had a group like that.”

Which doesn’t mean it’s ever too late to start, either with writing or finding a community.

“Unlike, for instance, downhill skiing, writing is something you can begin at 50,” she quipped.

Ready, set, go – a lineup of autumn writing contests

How long has it been since I’ve posted a blog about writing contests? Well, that’s too long! So here goes, with both a selection of current contests and of do-it-yourself resources for ongoing events.

Now – Oct. 15: Time's nearly up for this tribute to the season: Pulp Literature’s Raven Short Story Contest. Fiction up to 2500 words (not necessarily of an avian nature!) can snag a cash prize! Fee -- $20 or opt for editorial feedback for an additional $25. Sponsored by Duotrope.

Now – Oct. 30: The annual Kathryn McClatchy Flash Fiction contest of the Writers Guild of Texas  is also coming down to the wire. Entries must be original stories, 300-1,000 words. First entries are free for WGT members, $15 for additional entries (up to three maximum). Non-WGT members pay $35 for their first entries (which gives them complimentary membership), $15 for additional entries. Cash prizes and publication in the WGT newsletter for first – fourth place winners.

Now – Oct. 31: Flash 500’s annual Novel Opening Chapter and Synopsis Competition, judged by indie book publisher Crooked Cat Books. Fee: £10/€13, with cash prizes for first place and runner-up.  

Now – Nov. 15: Writer’s Digest’s current contest is its annual Short Short Story Competition for stories in 1,500 words or less. First place winner receives cash, publication in the magazine AND a paid trip to the Digest’s annual conference, including a slot in its Pitch Slam. Cash prizes and publication also for second through 10^th place winners, and more! (Cost & details)

image: pixabay

Now – Nov. 30: Speaking of short fiction, check out the WOW! Women on Writing quarterly flash fiction contest, now in session for fall. Word limits: 250-750. Fee $10, cash prizes.

Now – Dec. 31: No matter how you feel about L. Ron Hubbard’s personal views, the late author’s Writers of the Future Contest is a recognized opening for writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. No fee, and potential for cash prizes and publication. Submission periods repeat quarterly – there’s always one ongoing. See the site for details.

Now – Jan. 31, 2019: Writer’s League of Texas 2019 manuscript contest is now open for unpublished book-length manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction and children’s categories. Winners in each category will receive free registration to the WLT’s 2019 Agents & Editors Conference next summer to meet with a top literary agent (and the final judge in their category). Manuscripts need not be completed – only the first (approximately) 10 pages plus a synopsis are required. Entrants – winners or not – may opt for feedback from an experienced editor on their submissions. Entry fees are $55 for WLT members, $65 for nonmembers, which includes a written critique. Fees for authors opting out of the critiques are $25 for WLT members, $35 for nonmembers. Writers need not be Texas residents to enter. See the site for details.

Now – Feb. 28, 2019: Oh, you’ve already published a book? Then check out the Writer’s League of Texas book awards, open for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, picture books and middle grade/young adult categories published in 2018. Books may be traditionally published, indie- or self-published. For this one, authors must be Texas residents. Winners in each category receive cash prizes and public recognition at the 2019 Texas Book Festival. Fees: $60 for authors submitting directly ($40 for WLT members), $70 for agents/publishers submitting on behalf of authors. 

Now – Feb. 28, 2019: Another contest from Flash 500, this one sponsored by Duotrope – its annual short story competition. Up to four entries per author, with cash prizes for first, second, and third place winners. 

***

UPDATE! Dallas-based literary magazine Carve's prose & poetry contest is open through November 15. Submissions accepted for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, with cash awards and publication for the winners. Entry fee: $17. See the site for details.

***

You may have noticed several mentions of ongoing contests. Several sources provide free, searchable information about current contests. Among these are Ralan.com (source of the L. Ron Hubbard and WOW! contests as well as others), New Pages, and Reedsy.

I also mentioned Duotrope, a wonderful guide to contests as well as other writing information. It’ll set you back, but when I first started writing short stories, I found the $5/month (or $50 per year) fee well worth the cost. Check out a free trial period to see what you think. Plus, once you’ve joined, you’ll forever after receive its newsletter!

Nights are never cold when you snuggle in to read!

For everyone saddened a few months ago when the start of school signaled the end of the Dallas Public Library’s annual summer reading event, there’s a new reading event in town. It's the Mavs Reading Challenge, with the Dallas Mavericks. And though it's already in progress, having opened December 1, the season runs through March 18, 2018. That’s plenty of time to see you through a long winter’s break of reading, and into the spring.

image: pixabay

The rules are as simple as a playground pick up game.

First: sign up online or at any of the 29 Dallas Public Library locations. Nearly 400 readers have already done it! (Click here to find your closest library branch. And note that even more branches will have even more hours of operation starting January 2.)

Second: read at least 20 minutes a day. Readers from age 0-18 can participate. Parents, grandparents, older siblings or anyone else can help kids too young to read by reading to them for the same length of time. Seriously, that’s about two picture books per session.

Next: log the days your read (or were read to) for those 20 minutes online. If your computer access is limited, or you need help getting online, check with a librarian. 

Finally: visit any Dallas Public Library location to collect prizes!

Prizes include drawstring bags, hats, notebooks, and Whataburger certificates/free meals. (Did I forget to mention that Texas-based Whataburger is a sponsor?)

Plus, readers who log 40 reading days by the end of the program will be entered in a grand prize drawing for a chance to win a Dallas Mavericks fan experience. This includes four lower level tickets, four high-five line passes, and a third quarter locker room tour for a 2018-2019 Mavs home game.

***

I’ll be posting more about writing classes later, BUT -- today, Tuesday, December 5, is the deadline to register for the Writers’ League of Texas online class: Whose Story Is It? Playing with Point of View, with Stephanie Noll.

Register by 5 p.m. today at the Writers League site and reopen your computers for the class itself, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., CST. The cost is $49 for Writers League members, $109 for nonmembers.

If you (like me) have another commitment tonight for which remaining glued to your screen would be rude, register anyway and access the class recording anytime through December 13.

Selecting the point of view (POV) for a story is vital to shaping the experience of your reader. The class will read and discuss excerpts of published works that use all possible points of view, including second person, discuss the advantages/disadvantages of each and complete writing exercises to let participants “try on” all perspectives and determine which is best for our own story.

Stephanie Noll is an author, teacher, and storyteller. For more on her and her take on POV, click here.

The end of NaNoWriMo and a new beginning

NaNoWriMo is over for 2017. Or is it?

For the benefit of readers who may be looking at this post and wondering if I’ve taken a too-early dip into the eggnog, NaNoWriMo is the acronym for “National Novel Writing Month” – a November-long writing marathon in which otherwise sane people commit to a goal of putting 50,000 words of a fictional opus on page or screen.

Why 50,000? That’s the number of words generally considered the minimum to form a complete novel. And although acceptable word counts can vary according to literary genre (epic fantasies, for instance, ran run to twice that length or more), 50,000 is at the very least, a respectable core for any work.

But wait – did I forget to turn the calendar page and notice that we’re now in December?

Just as the “National” part of NaNoWriMo has long since morphed into a worldwide event since its inception in San Francisco long, long ago, NaNoWriMo now sponsors literary activities spanning 11 months of each year. 

Earlier this year, I raved online – and in person to writing partners – about all the wonderful free stuff I had access to as a NaNoWriMo participant. Free because although participants are “free” to make contributions (potentially tax-deductible to U.S. participants under NaNoWriMo’s IRC 501(c) status) its hordes of participants also attract hordes of sponsors.

Free webinars on editing? Check. Writing contests and pitch critiques? Check and check. Craft discussions, pep talks, free or reduced-price merchandise? Check, check, and double check.

image: NaNoWriMo

Oh, and did I forget to mention the free cover illustration program that benefited 30 NaNoWriMo writers (with 20 percent of the nominated entries coming from participants in NaNo’s Young Writers Program)? Check the “forum” link on the site for the complete list. I even loved the graphics at the site that visually illustrate the literary genres represented. 

Among nominations for cover illustrations, at least, that most-popular genre of Fantasy represented 27.7 percent, followed by Young Adult with 17 percent and Science Fiction with 10.7 percent.

Sorry, 50 Shades fans, but Erotica was the least represented genre, with 0.2 percent. Perhaps the world has been over-shared recently with sexual peccadillos.

And although NaNoWriMo is on hiatus during December, January and February are its “what next?” months, when writers begin the process of revising all those words. Or start to plan our 2018 project. Or start a new, pre-November project, via month-long NaNoWriMo Camps this spring.

Curious to know whether a newcomer could sign up for this bounty today, I tried, only to be stopped because I’ve already used all my email addresses. I’ll check with the volunteer liaisons here in my own Dallas-Fort Worth (Texas) NaNoWriMo region as soon as they’ve had time to recover from their work. In the meantime, for readers new to the program, please let me know if you’re able to sign up at the NaNoWriMo site.

I was too busy writing last month to even glance at the sponsor offers on the site. Get some sleep, maybe a shower, and take a look at offers that include personalized editorial feedback, or even a publishing contract for shortlisted manuscripts from Kindle Scout; a chance for YA novel publication by Macmillan via SwoonReads.com; a free book upload with IngramSpark; and many, many more free or discounted merchandise offers.

Personally, I will be checking out the revision advice offered by the joint Coursera-Wesleyan College classes NaNoWriMo wrangled for participants earlier this year. And polishing my first 10 pages for the Writers League of Texas manuscript contest, with its January 30, 2018, deadline.

Happy writing to all, and to all, a good December!